It may be a cliché, but it’s true: fame and fortune do not necessarily buy happiness. Money and recognition don’t provide immunity against drug addition, alcohol abuse, and mental illness.
Just ask the singer Justin Bieber. In a 2019 interview with Vogue magazine, he revealed that he struggled with drugs and alcohol in the past. He said that he was ashamed of being promiscuous, because his mother raised him to respect women.
He said he to mask his feelings of shame: “Drugs put a screen between me and what I was doing. It got pretty dark. I think there were times when my security was coming in late at night to check my pulse and see if I was still breathing.”
He also said that his mental anguish ran in the family. He noted that his mother has struggled with depression and his father had what he called “anger issues.” The singer has also allegedly sought counseling help to treat depression.
The singer underwent an informal detox procedure in 2014 and says he’s been drug-free ever since. He says that he no longer drinks alcohol excessively, either, but has an occasional drink.
At the time of the interview, Justin Bieber was a newlywed. He married model and television presenter Hailey Baldwin in 2018. His wife said that her husband did not attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings or use sober coaches (people who help others stay sober). Instead, the couple has used their spiritual beliefs and church attendance to address issues in their lives.
This underscores the fact that there are treatment options, that there is more than one way to become and stay sober. Some people, like Bieber, attend religious services and seek assistance from religious figures.
Meanwhile, other people stay at rehab centers, while others attend programs on an outpatient basis. Still others attend AA and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings or meetings affiliated with other sobriety groups, such as Women for Sobriety, SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety), or LifeRing Secular Recovery.
Some people attend group, family, or one-on-one therapy for substance use disorder health, while others receive medication to manage cravings and function normally. Many people rely on a combination of treatment options.
Justin Bieber’s life demonstrates that recovery can be just as personal as addiction.
